I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[CyndiLouWho]

I purchased a 1 year membership through a link that included a $20 e-gift card to Sam’s. I used my card with the $25 offer. This effectively brought the $45 membership fee to $0. I did a Google search to find the $20 e-gift card offer from Sams and applied for membership directly on that page.
The $20 e-gift card was emailed to me within a few hours of applying. I then used the $20 e-gift on my actual purchase of a Disney gift card.
Hope that makes sense

Was it the Amex offer with $20 off a membership? Or just $20 off $xx purchase? I have both types.

 

[jenmsmith]

So you took him once he was older? I’m wondering if taking an infant might be pointless for how expensive it is

Jumping in here. Depending upon personality of the child, it can be a great outlet for a toddler. But for infants, it’s really about the parents socializing (which is fine, but if you’re getting that elsewhere, I’d wait).

Says the woman whose teenagers are jungle gyms for their 19-month-old sister.

 

[ten6mom]

So you took him once he was older? I’m wondering if taking an infant might be pointless for how expensive it is

Oh no, sorry, I meant I only took him when he was 2-3 ish. I personally would not have taken an infant. But once they get into walking/running or even crawling and climbing, I think it's fun!

 

[havaneselover]

So you took him once he was older? I’m wondering if taking an infant might be pointless for how expensive it is

Yeah, I’m guessing it’s very different with a baby than a toddler. Mine was probably six months old when we started so sitting up but not walking. And I had my second when my first was 16 months old (don’t do that! so I stopped before he was born.

 

[mmmears]

Have any of you taken your kids to a Gymboree type of place? It seems really engaging but also kind of expensive

I did. We loved it. It helped that they offered an unlimited option and it was during an El Nino year when it rained pretty much every day. We were going stir crazy and it was a great outlet.

I took my older son (now 15) to Gymboree. We probably went for about...a year maybe? For me personally it was all about him and most definitely not social hour for me (but I'm not necessarily sociable). He really enjoyed it. Where else can you run around and jump and tumble in a huge room with big thick mats? He also (at about age 2 or 3) had an eye for the pretty girl instructors!

Yep. Mine started when she started to crawl, and there were fun obstacle courses for her, plus other babies around and it was just fun.

So you took him once he was older? I’m wondering if taking an infant might be pointless for how expensive it is

I think we went for about a year. By 2 she had outgrown it and we moved up to the parent-child class at the local gymnastics place. It's great for them to have a safe place to jump and climb around.

 

[miztressuz]

Have any of you taken your kids to a Gymboree type of place? It seems really engaging but also kind of expensive

My SIL did it with her first for a bit. She was in an area that wasn't easy to naturally find a social group of age appropriate kids at the time so it was useful for that. It is pricey but when you have limited options it can be handy, and sounds like the kids have fun. After that they moved into a neighborhood with better playmate opportunities and siblings came along

 

[Haley R]

Jumping in here. Depending upon personality of the child, it can be a great outlet for a toddler. But for infants, it’s really about the parents socializing (which is fine, but if you’re getting that elsewhere, I’d wait).

Says the woman whose teenagers are jungle gyms for their 19-month-old sister.

Oh no, sorry, I meant I only took him when he was 2-3 ish. I personally would not have taken an infant. But once they get into walking/running or even crawling and climbing, I think it's fun!

Yeah, I’m guessing it’s very different with a baby than a toddler. Mine was probably six months old when we started so sitting up but not walking. And I had my second when my first was 16 months old (don’t do that! so I stopped before he was born.

Thank you all for your input! Maybe I’ll hold off until he’s a toddler and by that point he might already be doing stuff. I just saw our trampoline park does a 5 and under once a week so that’s an option too. I’ll stick to going to the park, library, and stuff like that. There’s a mom group in my area that does playdates every week and activities that I might join. They charge $20 for the year

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Have any of you taken your kids to a Gymboree type of place? It seems really engaging but also kind of expensive

Does your library do any activities for kids and parents....that’s what I use to do when mine were little. My sister is in St Augustine and takes her grandchildren to the library for activities, so hopefully yours has free stuff too

 

[orangecuse]

Have any of you taken your kids to a Gymboree type of place? It seems really engaging but also kind of expensive

I’ve done Gymboree for 2 years with my toddler. I think its fun and social for the babies! I’m not a stay at home mom but my husband and I have flexible schedules so we enjoy going. There is another brand called Little Gym and I felt like that one helped more with motor milestones and such. I plan on enrolling our new guy after flu season!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Mostly off topic post, it has been a rough day, my cat GusGus had to have surgery today to remove a mouth mass, they were able to get it all, so that is good. He is home and for the most part seems to be doing ok, I think mainly distressed about lack of hard food. That pretty much finished off my current MSR. Hopefully, the pathology will come back ok. I leave this weekend for a trip that I kinda got roped into, it is a family trip, to tampa with probably 1 day trip up to disney (but we haven't gotten tickets or any firm plans). I'm just going to try and go with the flow on that one...I have someone staying at my house with Gus so we are all covered there. Send good thoughts my way I need them!

I hope your kitty does well and you have nothing but good news.

 

[orangecuse]

My AA booking is not linking to MDE

 

[Haley R]

Does your library do any activities for kids and parents....that’s what I use to do when mine were little. My sister is in St Augustine and takes her grandchildren to the library for activities, so hopefully yours has free stuff too

I just checked and they have story time but they have to be 2 and up. Our library in Iowa was so nice. That’s one thing I miss

 

[Haley R]

I’ve done Gymboree for 2 years with my toddler. I think its fun and social for the babies! I’m not a stay at home mom but my husband and I have flexible schedules so we enjoy going. There is another brand called Little Gym and I felt like that one helped more with motor milestones and such. I plan on enrolling our new guy after flu season!

It looks like we don’t have a little gym near us. Gymboree just seems really expensive

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Thank you all for your input! Maybe I’ll hold off until he’s a toddler and by that point he might already be doing stuff. I just saw our trampoline park does a 5 and under once a week so that’s an option too. I’ll stick to going to the park, library, and stuff like that. There’s a mom group in my area that does playdates every week and activities that I might join. They charge $20 for the year

Ok unsolicited advice, but trampolines cause a huge percentage of kids’ visits to ERs. I wouldn’t do a trampoline anything with a little kid. Even my older kiddo has done the trampoline park parties and there is almost always someone hurt. My kid also almost got his teeth knocked out and was bleeding from the mouth from a bouncy place. Ymmv.

 

[Haley R]

Ok unsolicited advice, but trampolines cause a huge percentage of kids’ visits to ERs. I wouldn’t do a trampoline anything with a little kid. Even my older kiddo has done the trampoline park parties and there is almost always someone hurt. My kid also almost got his teeth knocked out and was bleeding from the mouth from a bouncy place. Ymmv.

I’ve always taken the kids I nannied for and never had issues. I like that they have 2 hours a week that’s only for 5 and under. It’s just an option. I wouldn’t ever take my eye off a little one but at least with all little ones it would be better

 

[mmmears]

Thank you all for your input! Maybe I’ll hold off until he’s a toddler and by that point he might already be doing stuff. I just saw our trampoline park does a 5 and under once a week so that’s an option too. I’ll stick to going to the park, library, and stuff like that. There’s a mom group in my area that does playdates every week and activities that I might join. They charge $20 for the year

It's definitely worth checking out. My Mom's group started with a class offered by a nurse at the hospital DD was born at, but we ended up just doing weekly park dates until the kids went to school. It's good if you get a nice crowd (mine was a bit too snarky and competitive for my taste, but DD enjoyed the socialization, so we stayed but branched out with preschool friends and gym friends). It is nice to have a set park date each week, and people to talk to who are going through the same stuff.

 

[trenty]

@Haley R - look into swimming lessons in your area. I took all 3 of mine at 6 months. It’s a great “mommy/daddy and me” activity where you can meet other parents with babies. And your child will learn a very important life skill.

 

[mmmears]

It looks like we don’t have a little gym near us. Gymboree just seems really expensive

Gymboree seemed expensive to me, too, but it was great while we went. Our city offered a once-a-week class that was very similar, and less expensive, but if you were sick and missed a class you couldn't make it up, so in the end my math said that Gymboree was a much better deal. It cost more, but we went more often. We even had a few playdates from our time there.

 

[mmmears]

@Haley R - look into swimming lessons in your area. I took all 3 of mine at 6 months. It’s a great “mommy/daddy and me” activity where you can meet other parents with babies. And your child will learn a very important life skill.

I second this one. It's a life skill, and so much easier to get them swimming before the are older and start to be afraid.

 

[Haley R]

@Haley R - look into swimming lessons in your area. I took all 3 of mine at 6 months. It’s a great “mommy/daddy and me” activity where you can meet other parents with babies. And your child will learn a very important life skill.

That’s a good idea. I’ll have to look into that. We have a pool so planned to teach him young but swim lessons might be more fun.